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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25870369">chocolate mousse (for beginners)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/selfetish/pseuds/selfetish'>selfetish</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>to last through forever (and another day) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Banana Fish (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ash Lynx Lives, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Happy Birthday Ash Lynx, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Lazy Mornings, M/M, Sexual innuendos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:27:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,370</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25870369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/selfetish/pseuds/selfetish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“I can’t believe you. I planned the day out, baked you a nice chocolate cake from a box, and this is what I get,” grumbles Eiji, though he’s not serious by the way he innocently pecks him square on the mouth. Ash smirks against his lips, wrapping his arms around him as Eiji plants purposely wet smooches there over and over again. “Angry birthday, Ash. Angry, because I’m not happy.”<br/></p>
</blockquote>Ash forgets his own birthday.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>to last through forever (and another day) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>237</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>chocolate mousse (for beginners)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>to ash, my fire, my muse,<br/>happy freaking birthday boiiiiiii!!! get phat on cake!! get tons of smooches!!!!<br/>thinking of u always,<br/>ao3 user selfetish</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usually, Ash would roll over to the right side of the bed after Eiji leaves for Tokyo, but he’s pleasantly surprised to see him there drooling and stretched out like a starfish, slumbering contentedly through dazed eyes. The hand struck nine on the analog alarm clock on Eiji’s nightstand— way past the first morning train. He raises a confused brow, finding it super out of character for his boyfriend to break from his rigid morning routine of jogging at daybreak and decaffeinated milk coffees.</p><p>He really ought to nudge him, squeeze his nose shut or poke his side or <em> something </em> to get him awake and moving. Eiji has mentioned angry clients to him before all teary-eyed and exhausted. Ash would just hate to see him come home crestfallen and snot-nosed after a small dispute over something as stupid as not showing up to a shoot on time. Eiji’s just sensitive like that, never wanting to ruffle anyone’s feathers. An angel in the guise of a human, really— Raphael reincarnated. (Though, Ash is selfish. Eiji being an absolute baby gives him an excuse to pull him into his lap and pet his soft, raven hair and whisper syrupy sweet nothings in his ear as he sniffles into his shoulder. Stuff about how he’s perfect and cute and how much he loves him.)</p><p>Ash doesn’t have it in him to do it. He looks too peaceful and adorable right now to bother. A pocket of fat from his cheek presses up against the pillow and Ash wants to reach out and pinch it. His lips are agape and gleaming, puckered from glacé dreams and warm light; wispy hair and lashes spun and fanned out like cotton candy. His mouth begins to water. He looks so sugary and succulent at first bite. </p><p>He’s wearing a white tee shirt instead of his usual pajama set (humid nights in late summer would do that to anyone), worn a little too thin and too short; pecs poking out almost <em> obscenely</em>. Ash relishes in the way it exposes his midriff and the defined ridges found there. <em> It’s too early</em>, Ash thinks, feeling his shame creep up from his collarbones. <em> Too early for that. </em>He covers Eiji up with the bedsheet before his imagination can run amok.</p><p>When he caresses his face with the back of his hand, he sees glitter coat it, tiny flecks of sugar crystals. Eiji stirs at the contact, crinkling his nose as he turns on his side facing Ash to hide from the buttery rays of sun.</p><p>“I know you’re awake,” coos Ash, propping himself up on an elbow to admire his love’s childish antics of snuggling into his chest.</p><p>“Five more minutes,” Eiji sighs, pressing his cheek against his naked torso. “You feel so comfy. So soft.”</p><p>“And <em> you </em> are <em> late</em>.” He pats his back halfheartedly, not wanting to admit he’d like that extra five minutes as well. “C’mon, ya bum. Duty calls.”</p><p>“‘Duty?’” Eiji opens an eye to look at Ash with amusement. </p><p>“It’s a little past nine if you haven't noticed. You missed the first train, airhead.”</p><p>“I know. I took the day off.” And so Eiji leaves it at that, burying his head into the crook of his neck. It takes a few seconds for the information to register into his mind before concern begins to settle in.</p><p>“Are you sick?” His palm magnetizes to his forehead, pushing his wavy bangs up. Warm, but not hot enough to be a fever. “You feel fine to me.”</p><p>Eiji wrestles his hand away with a chuckle. “Your birthday!” He lays on top of him, chests flushed as he presses their foreheads together. His jaw hangs open for a while, counting the days and weeks.</p><p>“Ah.” It <em> is </em> his birthday.</p><p>Huh. Who knew it was already August?</p><p>“What do you mean, ‘ah?’ Don’t tell me you forgot your own birthday, silly!”</p><p>Ash scratches his head, clearly evading his words. “I might’ve,” he mutters, avoiding Eiji’s displeased gaze. Mornings and nights mingled together into one long continuity in summer. You can’t really blame him for losing track of dates when nothing ever changes and days crawl as slow as molasses toward Autumn. (Not that he was complaining. These kinds of days are the best because he never has to worry about alarmingly new variables meddling with his carefully crafted, humble lifestyle.)</p><p>“I can’t believe you. I planned the day out, baked you a nice chocolate cake from a box, and this is what I get,” grumbles Eiji, though he’s not serious by the way he innocently pecks him square on the mouth. Ash smirks against his lips, wrapping his arms around him as Eiji plants purposely wet smooches there over and over again. “Angry birthday, Ash. Angry, because I’m not happy.”</p><p>Ash puffs his cheeks out as to not explode in a fit of laughter in front of his pouty boyfriend. He fails miserably, cackling right in his face. He throws his head back and it hits right on the headboard, though this doesn’t stop his sides from splitting and Eiji from frowning.</p><p>“You seem to care about <em> my </em>birthday more than I do!” he exclaims between chuckles, wiping a tear at the crinkle of his eye.</p><p>“Of course!” Eiji blurts out, trying his hardest to suppress a grin. “There's so much to celebrate! A day dedicated to you, my most special person! It comes only once a year so I want it to be perfect!”</p><p>August twelfth is a day he’s always dreaded. Living under Golzine’s roof meant extravagant birthday bashes with shady government officials; ballrooms filled with evening gowns and tuxedos and diamond-encrusted masquerades. It meant swanky sports cars and rare gems and depraved toys for gifts; impromptu getaways to Paris where he’d be ravished with ‘love’ by that damned brute in some velvet suite with the Eiffel Tower mocking him from the horizon.</p><p>Then, he’d always rue his parents for bringing him into this crooked world, anchoring him to a fate crueler than death itself. But right now, under the weight of this sometimes sarcastic and most times sweet man, he sees color fill in the blanks. Colors so vibrant, so psychedelic that it’s straining. For once, he sees life the way it’s meant to be seen; there at the side of the one you love most. His rock. His soulmate.</p><p>An ‘angry’ birthday with Eiji and an undercooked <em> Betty Crocker </em>cake beats a ‘happy’ one any day.</p><p>“‘S already perfect,” Ash notes, cupping the side of Eiji’s face. “I mean, I have you here. What more could I ask for?" Unintentionally mushy, but true. He presumes Eiji knows it's practically <em>illegal</em> to make fun of the birthday boy on his special day, so there isn't really anything for him to be embarrassed about.</p><p>“Well, Ash.” He clears his throat. “You <em>must </em>have something you want to do, don't you?”</p><p>He hums, pretending to ponder the question despite already knowing the answer.</p><p>“I wanna sleep in and eat your cake.”</p><p>“For breakfast?”</p><p>“Lunch and dinner,” he snides, eyes glinting with mischief.</p><p>“Not a very balanced meal, but it <em> is </em>your day after all. Don't whine to me tomorrow that your tummy hurts," Eiji surrenders, twisting a strand of gold between his fingers.</p><p>“It’s totally balanced, babe. I mean, you’ve said it yourself before. Japanese meals are almost always healthy.”</p><p>“Hm? The cake’s not Ja—” Ash pinpoints the exact moment the lightbulb goes off in Eiji’s head, eyes widening in surprise and skin burning red-hot. Before he can protest, Ash topples over him, peppering kisses along his jaw, fingers sneaking past the hem of his cropped shirt. </p><p>“‘Angry’ birthday to me,” Ash murmurs against the slope of his neck. He bites down, his skin tasting more sweet and not so sarcastic as he imagined. </p><p>Today marks Aslan as twenty, leaving behind the Ash of seventeen. He has found the gratitude for that twee cottage on the shore and a faceless mother all bloodied and winded on her bed, cradling a bundle of <em> him </em> in her arms. He thanks them for giving him a pulse and a chance to live this morning time and time again with the center of his universe.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this was originally gonna be part of my asheiji ficlet collection but i think it needed its own post just for today! i didn't get my other fics updated in time for today, so please take this as an apology and wait for them some time later this month (of course, if you keep up with them). :'-)</p><p>hopefully next year i can update this and have ash eat his """cake""" lmfao,,</p><p>thanks for reading, take care, and have a great rest of your ash day! &lt;33333</p></blockquote></div></div>
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